(Santa Ana) – The Orange County Health Care Agency has confirmed three cases of measles in Orange County in the last six weeks. These cases are unrelated and thus far have not resulted in transmission to other Orange County residents. In the last five years, Orange County has only seen zero to one case of the measles per year. The Orange County Health Care Agency reminds people that the way to protect yourself and your family against the measles is to get the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine.

Routine measles vaccination of children (with MMR) is recommended at 12-15 months with a repeat dose at 4-6 years of age. The vaccine is effective, safe, and usually provides lifelong protection. Measles is a rare disease in the United States and in countries and regions of the world where vaccination coverage is high. However, measles is widespread in much of the rest of the world. Visitors from abroad and US residents traveling internationally can become infected and spread the infection to unvaccinated and unprotected people. Maintaining high vaccination rates is vital to preventing outbreaks of disease in our community.

It is recommended that unvaccinated persons of any age get the MMR vaccine, especially college students; healthcare workers; cruise ship passengers and international travelers; and women of childbearing age. MMR vaccine is widely available from medical providers throughout Orange County. The Health Care Agency’s Family Health Clinic located at 1725 W. 17th Street, Santa Ana offers vaccinations to eligible individuals Monday through Friday. Appointments can be made 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 1-800-914-4887. Learn more about Orange County travel immunizations and family immunizations.

To learn more about measles, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or http://ochealthinfo.com/phs/about/dcepi/epi/disease/measles.